The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-03-03
salaries of the others reduced in proper.

double what 1T was when these salaries
were fixed. The taxpnying power of thc
people is about one-third less. 1t taic
three bales Of cotton to pay what taxes
two then paid, and if the storckccpe1
and "pianter" who represents BarnwCl
i'll the Senate doesn't feel it, we farmers
do, and we arc not ''liiting ourselves
over the fcncc by our boot-straps" il
demanding change. We are Door and
have to stint, and we want no bosses in
broadcloth and fine linen to fare Sumptll-
ously every day and patronizc the "CO,
hmbia Club" to kill time, while clerks,
whose places can be filled at onc-half tho
salary paid, do their work. Georgia,
with an assessment Of over %325, 600, geo,
which has risen year by year, being
$l2, 900, 900 more in 1886 than it was in
lSS2-GGorgia only pays her Governor
$4,000 a year. South Carolina, the
"prOStrato State" once, and the ''sick
State now, for our taxable wealth has
made very little gain in ten years
South Carolina, assessed at $50, 600, 600,
pays her Chief Magistrate 81, 800. They
pay their Judges 81, ,OOO-we pay -, 800.
Their Chief Justice gets $3, 600, ours
900, and SO on in many other places.
Our taxes arc eaten zap, and when we
ask to have the burden lifted We arc
called 'disciplCS of Henry George" But,
above all things, we want no income tux
i'll South Carolina, at all events not one
which taxes the poor farmer while lcav-
ing the rich men Of other classes alone.
For what Is the recent assessment for
taxation Of the farmers produce, corn,
Nc., on hand but IN income tax? This
property ~ atI the farmer has to live on
till another crop is made, and is as much
an income as the salary Of the cnmptrol-
lcr general. If that gentleman is "only
| carrying out the law" as he claims, it
only shows that the farmers in the Leg
lsIaturc arc being careless or indifferent
to our rights, and that an organization
Of farmers is needed to watch over our
! interests.
The "Tarmcrs' movement" is not Il
political agitation, pure and simple, hut
| !, at least, have never diScluimCd that it
was political to the extent Of securing
needed reforms. Wo have Il right TO
''dlSport Ill the political mill-poud," "
however distaStCful it may be to Colonel
1OumanS and other members Of the
rullnS clique, and we shall continue TO
aGltatc those waters till they bcnomr
pure and wholesome. But we are not
going outside tho Democratic party to
obtain our rights or redress grievances,
and Colonel YoumanS knows it.
| The sneering a!lusion to Mr.. W. Z.
Russell shows that he and his fellows
would be glad to have us make that
fatal mistake. But VIC cannot afford to
abandon our fathers house because we
! don't like tho management. We will
sooner kick out mfMthiul and iucom-
pctcnt stewards and install others who
Will do their duty, and to accomplish
this we must "or8aniZu."
Colonel AOumuns, while snccring n
the value OF farmers, organizations, uui
especially the Grange, would Yet keen
the head OF that order and the Ircsidclit
Of the State Agricultural Society rs
members cX-oilicio Of the board of ugri-
culture, and that, too, notwithstanding
the fact that these gentlemen have shown
no special fitness for the position and no
| proper conception Of thu real duties Of Il
! board of agriculture. lie points to
! these two agricultural organizations,
ami the inference Is that nc thinks no
other is needed. Has he forgotten that
| some years ago they both unanimously
passed resolutions urging the icgisl;t-
turc to abolish the len law--hiS pet
&VcrSiOn-and docs he not remember
with what effect? Had either or both Of
those organizations represented any con
siderable contingent Of our agricultural
pOpulutiOn; had there been fewer puiiti-
| clans among them and more real, honest
| farmers, there would have been more
| heed paid to their wishes. But some Of
! the ''Iarmcrs' who voted for the rcsohI-
tODs at the joint summer meeting, voted
against repeating the law III the LcgiSlu-
| turc.
| The example OF trcachcry to orr ugri-
| cultural interests, and OF indifference
after having obtained political prefer
ment, are SO numerous III South CARROLL
na, that it is small wonder that | am
accused OF trying to 'ICNthcr my own
nest" by acting ns tie agricultural
champion. Especially has this charge
been made and reiterated by those WHO
are already Gin good places or have
! friends or relatives III them. The uccIl-
SatOn is II confession Of their own selfish
lack of patriotism, and it is too UId amt
stale to serve MIR. Noumuna in lIurr OF
| argument. l. can only say that II ! "pO
into the political mlIl-pond" it viii be-
with pure motives, and ! Will come ont
with clean hands.
The Senator from BarnwclI draws Il
vivid picture Of the probable result Of
''pIucln8 the Board of Agriculture ut the
| i'hNi VI VIC lhIlltIS movement, alIU
cOnJurcS up most lrIghtIuI catastrophe
as the probable result. "IInu1nr, saws
he, ''such an organization pcrlcctpd.
The department of agriculture converted
into II bureau Of organization. Then
not IN vain might these scli-sacriiiciuas
apostles enter the political mill-pund,
and go INTO deep water ut that. What
powerful ally OF Mr. TilImam, who has
been coqucttlng in IL juck-iu-thc-uoA way
with this political dc|utanto' ntight not
be elected to the United States Srnutc?"
Ihe idea Is 50 prcpOstcrous uuI 50 uttcl-
~ improbable That it produces Il smile
of pity for the sicliiy imagination which
thus "prcys upon ltacll.' This 'JBnu-
Iuo'* 8hoSt' could never have appeared
to any ono else but the Senator from
l}arnwcll, and the natural Inference Is
that the family Of Youmans have entered
Il prc-emption claim to il scat in tha
| United States Senate, and all lr,,spuasrrs
nrc warned to "kccp or the grass" It is
hardly probable that either Of thc gal
liant ol.o-Icggcd veterans who now repre-